Ohio man sentenced to nearly 5 years in prison for attacks on police during Capitol riot

An Ohio man who repeatedly attacked police officers as he joined a mob of Donald Trump supporters in storming the U.S. Capitol was sentenced on Thursday to nearly five years in prison.

Kenneth Joseph Owen Thomas has acted as a “one-man misinformation machine” since the Jan. 6, 2021, riot, using his social media platforms to spread false narratives about the attack, according to federal prosecutors. They say Thomas produces more than 20 hours of Jan. 6-related online content every week.

“The primary message Thomas attempts to convey throughout all of his appearances is ‘Jan 6th was a Setup,’ words that are emblazoned front and center on the landing page for the website and ‘brand’ he created after his arrest,” prosecutors wrote in a court filing.

U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich sentenced Thomas, 41, of East Liverpool, Ohio, to four years and 10 months of incarceration, according to online court records. The judge also ordered him to pay a $20,000 fine and $2,000 in restitution.